This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention that is recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description and claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
The use of projectors to display electronic media have become increasingly widespread in commercial, educational, and residential settings. A projector is commonly installed in conference rooms and classrooms to facilitate display of presentations and other media. Projectors have also become an alternative to the flat panel display for use in home theaters settings. It is often advantageous in these various settings to mount the projector to a surface such as a ceiling, wall, floor, or other surface using a mounting system. By mounting the projector to a surface, the projector remains substantially aligned with the display screen over time, the projector does not clutter to room or occupy space on a table, and unauthorized removal of the projector is mitigated.
In light of the demand for projectors, the number of projectors that are available to consumers from a multitude of manufactures and suppliers has expanded dramatically. These various projectors are available in a variety of sizes and form factors. Projectors often include a number of coupling features, such as threaded holes, on one or more surfaces to for connection with a mounting system. Although these features facilitate mounting of the projector to a surface, there is generally no standard with regard to the location and placement of these features on the projector. Consequently, the projectors of various manufactures may have, for example, different hole patterns or locations. Further, various projector models from a single manufacture may also be provided with differing patterns or locations.
The considerable array of existing and potential projector interfaces presents a challenge in regard to providing a cost effective, efficient, and robust mounting system. Accordingly, it may be necessary to use a mounting system specific to a particular projector to properly interface to the coupling features of the projector. Alternatively, an adjustable mounting system that is capable of adjusting to the variously located coupling features on a range of projectors may be used.
A number of adjustable mounting systems have been developed that provide a degree of flexibility with regard to interfacing with variously located coupling features. These systems generally feature a central plate or bracket from which appendages having various degrees of adjustability radiate outward. Some such systems include slots disposed in a portion of the central plate to allow for some adjustment in the placement of the appendages in relation to the central plate. For example, U.S. Design Pat. No. D514,612 shows a projector stand having a plurality of slots disposed in a central bracket and an arm extending from each of the slots. In a similar endeavor, U.S. Design Pat. No. D560,669 illustrates a bracket with a plurality of slots, an arm extending from each slot and an thumb-screw disposed at the end of each arm. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2005/0139742 describes a central square plate with arms pivotly coupled at the corners of the plate and adapted to receive a fastener for coupling to the projector. German Patent No. DE 100 44 213 A1 depicts a box, a plurality of arms attached to the corners of the box and fasteners disposed at the arm ends adapted to couple to a projector. German Patent No. G 202 17 304 U1 similarly depicts a central structure having a plurality of articulated arms attached its corners, with brackets extending downwardly from at least some of the articulated arms. European Patent Application No. EP 1 431 652 A2 shows a central bracket having a plurality of slots and brackets coupled to the plate at each of the slots, with each bracket adapted to receive a fastener for coupling to the projector.
Although the above systems offer some flexibility in reaching variously located coupling features disposed on the surface of the projector, their flexibility is generally limited by the configuration of the appendages to the central plate or bracket. In particular, because the individual appendages slidingly and/or pivotally connect to the central plate via slots or holes, there are certain portions adjacent the periphery of the central plate to which the appendages cannot be directly connected. Accessibility to regions of the projector surface is therefore limited by the geometry and placement of the slots and pivots to which the respective appendages are coupled to the central member or bracket. Thus, certain areas of the projector, which may include coupling features, may remain unreachable using these systems. Also, in order to cover the maximum area of the projector, these central plates will need to have more slots than attachment appendages. If the projector configuration requires that an attachment appendage utilize a slot or hole where no appendage is currently installed, the appendage will have to be completely removed from the central bracket and moved to that slot or hole. This operation adds to the installation time for each projector.